Who is the 31-Year-Old First Baseman Providing Power for the 2026 Padres?
Things are finally looking up for the 2026 Padres. After an atrocious start to June, the Friars have placed themselves back into a National League Wildcard spot. Beyond that, they are 6-4 in their last ten, breaking the .500 threshold in their last ten for the first time in June. They still sit eight games back from the powerhouse division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a convincing victory on June 26th showed some hope. Despite a slight increase in output, the Padres still sport the worst offense in baseball, largely due to their big-name players slumping. Even with players like Fernando Tatis Jr starting to return to form, the Padres' struggling offense has had to rely on a sudden youth movement and unlikely breakouts to stay afloat. One of these unlikely breakouts comes in the form of a familiar face.
Initial Stint
Ty France’s journey into the MLB was unlikely in itself. The first baseman attended San Diego State University, coached by the legendary Tony Gwynn, even sporting a number 19 tattoo to honor the San Diego staple. After multiple years as an Aztec, France was selected in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. The former Aztec was never considered a top prospect during his initial time with the Padres, never cracking any website's top-100 prospect rankings. Despite this, he earned a call-up in 2019 and performed poorly in 69 games for the lowly Padres. The 24-year-old was worth just -0.2 WAR, posting a .696 OPS with mediocre defense. Despite a challenging 2019, France took a massive step forward in 2020. In his first 20 games of 2020 as a Padre, the first baseman had an OPS of .868 with a .309 average. His hot start resulted in the contending Padres swinging him at that year's trade deadline, shipping him off to the Mariners.
Time Away
France’s initial two years with the Mariners were the peak of his career. In 2021, the future all-star put together a 4.2 WAR season, clubbing 18 home runs with an .813 OPS as the Mariners' everyday first baseman. The Padres were made to look even more foolish when France was named an all-star in 2022, registering an OPS of .774 in 140 games. However, after a stellar first two years in Seattle, he began to struggle with his WAR total dropping to just 0.9 in 2023. The former Aztec’s career hit a low point in 2024, posting career-worst numbers in nearly every category for the Mariners and, after being traded before the deadline, the Reds. 2025 was an interesting season for the former all-star. He started the year with the Twins, signing a short-term deal before the season, yet was traded to the eventual World Series-bound Blue Jays at the deadline. At the plate, the right-hander was mediocre, posting a .681 OPS in 138 games, although he made up for it with an 88th percentile fielding run value, earning him a Gold Glove Award.
Return Home
The Padres liked France’s defensive upside enough to sign the 31-year-old to a one-year deal entering 2026. Initially, the first baseman was used as a platoon bat, but since then, he has forced manager Craig Stammens' hand. The defense has continued to deliver, with a fielding run value in the 92nd percentile thus far. Despite France’s weak arm, his range factor at first base ranks in the 97th percentile. That mark is even better than three-time Gold Glove Award winner Matt Olson. At the plate, France has enjoyed an 80th percentile average exit velocity, a percentile that is far better than his career norms. His barrel percentage and hard hit percentage also rank in the 80th percentile or better, a good sign that his surface-level numbers are fairly sustainable. Despite playing in just 58 games, the 31-year-old has registered 1.1 fWAR, good for seventh on the team, ahead of key everyday players. In just 180 plate appearances, the former Mariner has 10 home runs, pushing his OPS up to .810. Although he is not fully qualified, France is one of just two Padres players with an OPS above .800, with the other being Samad Taylor. If the Padres' role players like France can keep performing while the stars finally figure it out, the squad is much more dangerous than their June record suggests.
